Vice President Joe Biden listens as President Barack Obama speaks about the Islamic State group on Feb. 11 from the White House. (Jacquelyn Martin, Associated Press file)

President Obama plans to continue the same failed policies of Presidents George W. Bush and Lyndon B. Johnson, wherein we won all the battles but lost the wars. Such policies create dependencies-clients who throw down our weapons and run as soon as they are challenged to defend their own. The Islamic State is an ideology and force created in the region, and it must be defeated by those in that region. If we are the ones who defeat the Islamic State, it will just fade away to fight another day, stronger and more widespread than before.

Gary Hall,Denver

This letter was published in the Feb. 27 edition.

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The poor and homeless face dramatic increases in bus fares, and so do suburban express riders. Let’s face it. Somebody has to pay for the Southeast light rail extension to the most well-to-do area of Denver.

Kevin Sampson,Denver

The writer is a former member of the RTD Board of Directors.

This letter was published in the Feb. 27 edition.

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Jim Fitzgerald, center, a rancher from Bayfield and a member of Gov. John Hickenlooper’s oil and gas task force, listens during the board’s debate on a measure Tuesday. The task force sent nine recommendations to the governor. (David Zalubowski, The Associated Press)

I worked as a professional in the oil and gas industry for more than 35 years, and I think it is time for some changes. I am not surprised at the recommendations of the governor’s oil and gas task force, just extremely disappointed. They disregarded concerns for local control. I think the industry is making a big mistake in not listening to the concerns of the public. I need to be clear that I am not opposed to fracking, but I am opposed to communities not being able to control industrial activities within their borders. No other industry enjoys that luxury.

My former industry is using arguments that no longer convince me. I do not think we need to drill every square foot of the state. There are better uses for some properties (like those within city limits) than what they have in mind. Where do I sign the petition?

Ralph Ponfick,Lafayette

This letter was published in the Feb. 27 edition.

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The Post is totally off base in its assessment of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to Congress. Yes, the White House will take its usual non-leadership role and act like a bunch of children ‘snubbing’ the event. And Democrats like Rep. Diana DeGette will conveniently have other commitments.

Cut and run may be the 2016 battle cry, but today, the world is a powder keg, and all branches of our government had better listen to what the Israeli prime minister has to say. What Netanyahu has to say about the current Iranian nuclear situation is critical to the world and could have far-reaching consequences.

The U.S. is not known for our negotiating prowess. With our abysmal track record, I can understand Israel’s total lack of confidence in this process. For those who wonder, watch Bibi. This is what “loving your country” looks like.

Kirk Jamison,Centennial

This letter was published in the Feb. 27 edition.

Your editorial ignores both the history of the rise of Fascism preceding World War II, and that our president appears as blind to the threat posed by a nuclear-armed Iran as Neville Chamberlain was to the threat posed by Hitler’s Nazi Germany.

Congress has the obligation to inform itself about critical foreign policy. Our naive president embarking on a path to appease Iran will likely lead to a nuclear arms race in the Middle East that imperils not only Israel, but the entire world. The information that Netanyahu can provide, as leader of a nation that has been threatened with annihilation by the Iranian government, must be heard by our Congress.

The balance of power between president and Congress must be preserved, and that is what your editorial should have addressed.

Jerry and Marilyn Kopelman,Greenwood Village

This letter was published in the Feb. 27 edition.

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I am alarmed that The Denver Post is publishing articles about Jessica Hernandez which portray her more as a victim and martyr than a criminal. These features seem biased and almost portray her as an innocent bystander instead of someone who drove a stolen car into policemen’s bodies. I am very sorry her young life was cut short and I feel badly for her family, but the constant coverage of vigils, protests and remembering the kind deeds Hernandez did in her life doesn’t change the fact that she made some serious, fatal mistakes along the way that culminated in an early, unfortunate death. Her actions and choices determined her fate much more than those of the police officers who happened to be dispatched to the alley in Park Hill the morning she was shot. They were doing their job. If there are investigations and trials, they should take place in a courtroom, not the pages of The Denver Post.

Rebecca Joseph,Denver

This letter was published in the Feb. 26 edition.

Regarding your front-page article on Jessica Hernandez and her wonderful qualities, there is something all young people need to know. If she had not been shot and she had seriously injured the officer, she would be charged with, at the least, attempted second-degree murder and felony theft for stealing a car. She would have been sent to prison for many years and if she ever got out, she would have a very difficult life. With a felony on your record, most employers will not hire you and you will be denied many careers. You also will have a hard time renting an apartment. Where were her parents in guiding her and warning her that her behaviors and choices were going to ruin her life?

Norma Link,Lakewood

This letter was published in the Feb. 26 edition.

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In obeisance to my need for quiet, proximity to wildlife, and privacy, I have chosen to live in rural Colorado, about 25 miles from the nearest supermarket, mall and acceptable restaurant. To nearly all of my neighbors, I am a certified egg-sucking, tree-hugging liberal, and I am sure that all of them would be surprised to learn that I have long been in possession of a 10-guage, double-barreled shotgun, kept loaded with 00 buckshot rounds. If the Federal Aviation Administration permits recreational, commercial or governmental drone machines to intrude into my airspace, I will take them down, given the opportunity. I will then follow the long-standing rancher maxim for cattle and sheep threats throughout the West. That is, SSS: shoot, shovel, and shut up.

Steve Hannon,Beulah

This letter was published in the Feb. 26 edition.

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Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson speaks while flanked by former Secretaries of Homeland Security Tom Ridge, left, and Michael Chertoff during a news conference at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Headquarters on Wednesday. They urged Congress to pass a full-year appropriations bill for Homeland Security. (Mark Wilson, Getty Images)

If the “patriots” in Congress do not get their act together, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will run out of money on Friday and tens of thousands of people who defend our nation go home without pay. That includes employees of the TSA, ICE, FEMA, CBP, the Secret Service and the U.S. Coast Guard. Who could possibly benefit from defunding Homeland Security? Well, the terrorists of the Islamic State, al-Qaeda, Boko Haram and Al-Shabab come to mind, along with drug cartels and anyone who wants to cross our borders illegally. Funding the people who protect us should not be a political football. Congress should do its job and pass a clean budget now.

Daniel Avrin,Highlands Ranch

This letter was published in the Feb. 26 edition.

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How do you know that the headline of your editorial is true? These are secretly negotiated mega-deals, $1.2 billion locked in for 35 years in this case, typically with foreign corporations.

Nothing in law requires them to divulge the terms of the deal before they sign. Even after an agreement is signed, there is no guarantee we will see the terms. The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) follows what’s outlined in an executive order that only requires a “summary of essential terms” be disclosed. Basically, what CDOT wants to tell us. We saw how that worked with the U.S. 36 deal.

Attorneys general warn us against deals too good to be true, because they typically are bad deals. I would hope the news media would be skeptical of such “free” claims and demand real transparency before it is too late.

State Sen. Matt Jones,Louisville

This letter was published in the Feb. 25 edition.

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FILE – In this May 12, 2014, file photo, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani speaks in New York. Democrats last week assailed Giuliani for questioning President Barack Obama’s love of country. (John Minchillo, Associated Press file)

At one time, we had some respect for Rudy Giuliani for his post-9/11 actions, but his comments about President Obama not loving America leave us with no respect for him and those who do not disavow that statement.

Giuliani grew up in one set of circumstances, and Obama in another, both in America. Democracy calls upon us to have a spirited, civil discussion of issues that face us, with the understanding that while we mostly see the same challenges that face America, we still may come to different conclusions and visions as to how best to solve those challenges, based on our backgrounds and what we have learned in our individual lives.

Many of us can and do disagree with some, if not many, of Obama’s visions, but saying that he — and by intimation, his supporters — do not love America is a bridge too far.

John Thomas,Fort Collins

This letter was published in the Feb. 25 edition.

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Colorado Senate President John Morse, D-Colorado Springs, speaks with media after a Feb. 4, 2013, press conference to unveil gun legislation aimed at curbing gun violence. Morse was later recalled by voters in his district who were upset with his actions on guns. (RJ Sangosti, Denver Post file)

You article sets a condescending tone talking about how state Republicans are setting an “ugly precedent” with their procedural tactics in blocking funding to get closer to the policy goals. Did you forget about the “ugly precedent” that the partisan Democrats employed by taking away a portion of our Second Amendment freedoms in the 2013 session? How about the “ugly precedent” that was set when the Democrats voted to give illegal immigrants a quasi-legal status of a Colorado driver’s license in the same 2013 session? Both bills were jammed down the throats of Colorado citizens in a “Democrats know best” fashion.

Byron Larson,Arvada

This letter was published in the Feb. 25 edition.

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Guidelines: The Post welcomes letters up to 150 words on topics of general interest. Letters must include full name, home address, day and evening phone numbers, and may be edited for length, grammar and accuracy.

To reach the Denver Post editorial page by phone: 303-954-1331

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